Benelong Park Bushcare Group

Benelong Park bushcare area
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History of our group
Come and join us

The Benelong Park Bushcare Group takes pride and great interest in improving the remnant forest adjacent to Mercer Park in Kedron, on Brisbane’s northside. You’ll find Benelong Park at the eastern end of Eleventh Avenue, just in Wavell Heights (UBD Ref Map 140, D2).

Benelong Park bushcare area

The Benelong Park bushcare area includes a lovely circuitous path used by walkers and cyclists. Take the path through the remnant Eucalypt forest and you will see signs of our work; including cleared weed patches and plantings.

There are other areas tucked away from the path, including the revegetation site of a small rivulet that runs down through the park, providing a natural environment for frogs and water birds, especially after rain.

Being involved with the Bushcare group means you can make a real difference to the environment in a very practical way. Our group has created a vibrant area that is now home to frogs, tawny frogmouths, many birds, possums and other wildlife. Plus we are helping to create biodiversity of species, reduce erosion and improve the health of Kedron Brook.

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Angophora also thrives amongst the Eucalypts, though the specimen of Broadleaf Apple (species subvelutina), shown deformed in the graphic (far left), certainly suffered from some trauma in its developing stages.

See also our special gallery page of native plants with yellow coloured flowers from this area. Photographs were taken by Denise Rivers.

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History of our group

The group started in 1990 with David O’Gorman as coordinator. The members undertook significant planting and weeding control at this site with the help of students from local schools and scouting groups.

After a break for a couple of years, the group started again in September 2003 with Michael Wilson as Bushcare Leader.

Benelong Park used to be part of a rubbish dump until the area was developed for housing in the 1950s.

This quiet section of bush now sits beside popular community facilities such as the Mercer Park, John Wren Oval (used for weekend cricket matches), the tennis centre off Shaw Road, the delicious mulberry trees near Kedron Brook and a busy bikepath.

Other bushcare groups nearby include:

• Kalinga Park  
• Melrose Park

Come and join us

The keen volunteers in our bushcare group meet on the third Sunday of the month.

Dates for 2011:

• 19 June
• 17 July
• 21 August
• 18 September
• 16 October
• 20 November
• 18 December

New volunteers are always welcome and there is plenty of nearby parking and
it’s fine if you’d like to bring along the kids to help out too.

We work at tasks such as preparing sites, regenerating areas, planting tube stock and watering the new plants. Volunteers learn about the local plants and the annoying weeds of the area and meet a friendly group of people.

You can join us from about 7.30 am on the above dates and we stop for an all-important cuppa and a chat at approximately 10 am. Everyone is welcome to drop in any time between 7.30 and 11 am on working bee days.

Please wear a hat, enclosed shoes and sunscreen, bring some gloves and water bottle.

If you’ve got a particular interest in bush tucker foods, wildlife boxes, certain animals or plant species or have a good idea about how to involve the wider community, we’d love to hear from you.

Contact our leader, Michael Wilson, on 07 3256 6358 or if you’d like to know any other details or let him know you are coming.

We look forward to seeing you at a working bee soon.

Copy: Michele Smith   15/05/2011
Photographs: Denise Rivers           

CI   14/10/2011